Improvement in loading attachments for ordnance



` 2 Sheets-Sheet -1.. D'.'D.JOH1\I-SOI\T. Loading-Attachment lforGrdlmnoia.A

No. 202,174. Patented Apri|`9,1878.

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"" im; lill 2 SheeLs--Shee-tl D. D. JOHNSGN. Loading-Attachment forOrdnance.

NQ. 202,174.l Patented April 9,1878.

UNITED STAT-ES PATENT Duuren.

' DAVID D. JOHNSON, OF UNITED STATES ARMY.

IMPROVEMENT IN lLOADING 'ATTACHMENTS FOR ORNANCE.

Specification formingpart of Letters Patent No. 202,174, dated April 9,1878.; application filed February 27, 1878.

scription, reference being had to the accom-v panying drawings, and tothe letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a center-pintle gun-carriage having myimproved appavratus attached thereto, and represented as be ingdepressed and out of the way, as when the gun is.. being fired. Fig. 2is a similar I view, showing the staff-carriage and cartridgestandelevated to a position suitable for use in loading the gun. Fig. 3 is anelevation of the.: .sponge-stad' detached from the staff-carriage,

but provided with its rotating wheel or drum. Fig. 4 is a frontelevation, and Fig. 5 a side view, of the staf-carriage. Fig. 6 is aside elevation, and Fig. 7 a plan, of the cartridge stand or carrier.Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the spider employed to prevent theoperating ro es or cables from becoming dislodged from t eir respectivedrums. Fig. 9 is lan elevation of a staii employed to .insert the ram--nicr or sponge-staff properly in the carriage. y Like letters in all thefigures indicate corresponding parts. f

The object of my invention is to produce an apparatus for loading heavyguns which shall be capable of being applied without alteration of thepresent styles of gun-carriages, whicli may be operated from a positionconsiderably below the muzzle of the gun, be siinple in construction,not liable to get out of order, and

' admit of the usual manipulations of both the rammer and sponge-staves.

- To accomplish all of this, the invent-ion consists in certain novelarrangements or combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter rst fullydescribed, and then pointed .out in the claims.

A A are the arms or rods which support the staff-carriage B. These areshown as provided with a sliding journal, as at'F, andwith anelevating-ratchet, 0,1ocatedbetween the journal and the stad-carriage.The carriage B has an enlarged nari-n g mouth upon the side l next thegun, so aste render the insertion of the-sponge or rammer lstai' aslittle difficult as possible. The cog-wheel Gr is axled within carriageB, and is turned b'y one or two drums,

H H, around which the operating ropes,.

chains, or cables I are passed.

That'the 'gun may be properly cleaned before loading; it is regarded' asnecessary tha the sponge should be revolved within the bore; and inorder to provide for this manipulation, I mount the yfdrum K upon thesponge-staff, supplying it with an operating cord or chain, L, and soiitting it that it will 1 move in the direction of the length of thestai, but if revolved will carry the stai withit. In order to clean the'gun by use of this apparatus, the carriage B will be elevated by.simply turning crank E of ratchet-wheel---Dwuntil said carriage islinproper position opposite the muzzle. The sponge-stad' is then seizedwith the hands, directed into the flaring mouth of the carriage, and runthrough as far as convenient.. Then the rod (shown at Fig. 9) isemployed to elevate the fr'ee end of the staff, and theratchet-wheelbrought into play to run it back as far as necessary.v To

facilitate the adjustment of the sta in `its v carriage, the upper edgeof the` lower inclined face is slightly rounded so as to allow saidstaff to be run backward more readily,land.to avoid turning wheel Guntil the ratchet. a

comes in contact withthe teeth thereof.

By reversing the motion of vwheel Gr the spongc'is forced into the bore,the drum K sliding along easily upon the staff, and the operation ofsponging is completed by causing the staff to be revolved through themedium of its 'drum and'operan'ng-rope. VTo .facilitate this revolutionofthe stai', the ratchet thereon is` made to envelop or completelylencircle it at the end, so that therewill be'no interference by theteeth of wheel, G. The

sponge-stati' may then bewithdrawn by again turning whecl'G and thecartridge carrier or rest, with the cartridge brought up to the positionindicated in Fig. 2. The rammer-staff is then placed vin ,the carriage,and operated in a manner similar to that of 'the sponge-staff, by -meansof which the cartridge may be propv`erly"'rammelA A'-'l.he shell or shotisthen inserted much in the same Way, and the carriages lowered to aposition out movements-of the gun. y

The cartridge-rest P is made tapering tuward the mout-h of the gun, thebetter to direct the cartridge, and it is provided with a tongue, b,adapted to arrest its upward motion by contact with the muzzle.

The ratchet-s whichserve to elevate the carriages are preferably curved,substantially as shown in the drawings, so that the carriages may bebrought down one over the other, as in Fig. l; and these ratehets shouldbe so curved and proportioned as to cause the eartridge-carrier to fallbetween the muzzle and the statt-carriage when the two are elevated forwork.

'lo prevent the operating-cords from becoming displaced, I swing thespiders N t-o the axles of their corresponding drums, and run the cordsthrough the slots provided for their reception. The drum Kis alsoprovided with a spider, N, convenient bearings for it being located uponeach side of said drum.

The endless cord or cable used in connection with drum K should bepinned thereto at a point such as will insure the proper location ofratchet a whenever the rope is pulled down and arrested by said pin;for, if the ratchet fall upon the upper side of the statt afterrevolution, it could not be drawn out of the bore by wheel Gr, since theteeth of the latter would not en gage with thc ratchet. rllhe springshown at c operates to prevent the staff from inclining too much whenunevenly balanced upon wheel G, and also to hold the statt down upon thewheel.

Although the apparatus is shown as applied to one particular form ofcarriage, it should be noted that 'it is equally applicable to any otherform or style; and, instead oi` connecting the statt' andcartridge-carriers with the chassis-rails, they may be moved vertically,or in any other direction, by any suitable means, located at anyconvenient part of the work, or upon any convenient part of thegun-carriage or its rails. e

The vent q is preferably located beneath the -of the way of the gun, sothat the operators will not be required to ex pose their persons duringloading or priming.

As illustrated, the device is intended to be operated by hand; but theconstruction and arrangements of the different parts are such that anyconvenient form of power may be easily' and quickly applied thereto. i

The carriages are shownl as supported upon double arms, one at each sideofthe rails; but it may be found desirable to employ only one arm, whichmay be done without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

The apparatus as thus constructed is simple and effective, and admirablyanswers the sev.- eral objects of the invention, as previously stated.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by- Letters Patent, is-

' 1. In combination with a staff-carriage made adjustable, theoperating-drum H, ratchetwheel G, and sustaining-spring c, substantiallyas shown and described.

2. In combination with the sponge-stati, the operating-drum K, mountedthereon and movable, substantially in the manner and for the purposesset forth.

3. In combination with the staticarriage, having a ratchet-wheel mountedtherein, a sponge-stati' provided with a circular ratchet at one end,arranged to permit the rotation of said statt' upon the wheel,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.`

4. ln combination with the supporting-arms of the stad-carriage, whichare pivoted or journaled at one end, a curved rack-bar and operating-pinion, located between the carriage and journal, substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand inthe presence of two witnesses.

DAVID D. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

Guo. F. E. HARRISON, W. S. WYA'rr.

